The online purchase of goods and services, which is referred to as e-commerce, is no longer a novelty or the preserve of the die-hard technophile. Trade, which is generated and paid for through the Internet, is now the basis for many successful online companies. The number and value of e-commerce transactions, in all their varied forms, have increased to the point where e-commerce will act as the conduit through which many billions of pounds of trade will be conducted over the next few years.